TODAY IS…

a wonderful day to consider what can happen with faith.

“By Faith…”  Various Scripture

Found throughout the Bible, in any translation, those two words precede many examples of the power of having an unshakable confidence in God.

The list of individuals throughout history who demonstrated their faith and profoundly impacted the world is long. Noah had faith enough to build an ark where there was not even any water simply because God instructed him to do so. Since those members of Noah’s family and the animals that he built accommodations for were the only survivors in the whole world, the impact of Noah’s faith is evident.

The author of the book of Hebrews is not really known, but whoever wrote it provides us with example after example of important figures who put their faith in God with amazing results. Faith is not hoping. Faith is not thinking, Faith is not assuming. Faith is believing. Faith is confident knowledge. Faith is complete trust in God.

Abraham had it. He was ready to kill his son simply because God told him to. God didn’t let him do it, of course, but his confidant trust in God would allow him to do no less than what he was instructed to do. Can any of us truly understand that level of faith? That degree of trust?

The list goes on, familiar names and familiar situations: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab.

Can our faith possibly have the same impact on the world and the people in it as did the faith of all of those individuals? That is a question that we may never really know the answer to, but if we have that unshakeable, unquestioning, confident trust in God, then our lives will be shaped by His instruction and His will. As a result, actions that become simply a way of life for us can have a life changing impact on someone we meet. The kindness, generosity, and compassion that we offer to another could change the way they think and act towards others. They, in turn, might change the way they live, and so on.

Can we ever possibly know the full impact that our faith can have upon the world? Probably not. But we can be assured that it is working in the hearts and minds of those around us.

Your faith in God makes you a powerful force on earth. Use the gift of this day to think about that.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson